Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said seven other people were in critical condition, the Associated Press reported.
A total of 41 people were suffering from pneumonia caused by "a new predetermined type of coronavirus" as of Friday, down from the previous number 59, the committee said, noting that they were in stable condition and that at least two had been discharged from the hospital.
The patient, who died, was identified as a 61-year-old man who was admitted to hospital after suffering from shortness of breath and severe pneumonia.
The committee noted that the patient was also suffering from abdominal tumors and chronic liver diseases and was a regular customer in a food market in the suburbs of Wuhan which were associated with most of the cases.
China says the cause of the virus is still unknown, but it has sought to curb speculation that it may be a new outbreak of the SARS epidemic that has claimed hundreds of lives in 2002 and 2003.
